Bush Administration Now Has Third-Worst Presidential Dow Returns

As of moments ago, we just blew through a Dow round-trip for the Bush Administration on the Dow. The Dow closed at 10,578 on January 22nd, 2001, and we are currently at 10,512, for a -0.6% decline overall, or -0.07% decline compounded annually.

To put it in a broader presidential context, Bush now has daylight between him and Jimmy Carter in having secured the spot for third-worst all-time compound annual returns for a U.S. president. He now trails only Richard Nixon and Herbert Hoover since 1929.

Both men’s records currently look (relatively) safe, however. The Dow would have to fall to around 7,500 by inauguration day for Bush to out-do Nixon, and it would have to fall to 1000 before Herbert Hoover spot at the top of the pops was at risk. In other words, he needs to be careful what he wishes for.